Star Wars fans are taking to Twitter to speak out against Quantic Dream being in charge of last week’s Game Awards 2021 livestream event after months of rumor and speculation, with the game’s teaser trailer showing off several interesting characters and locations within the High Republic era.
However, any excitement some players might have had for Star Wars Eclipse was tempered by the Quantic Dream logo at the end of this trailer. Quantic Dream is known for producing several story-focused games like Indigo Prophecy, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain have been criticized for in the past.
This has not gone unnoticed by Star Wars gaming fans, who have started the Twitter hashtag #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse to draw attention to Quantic Dream’s past toxic behavior and demand that Star Wars Eclipse be handed over to another, less problematic developer. Many of these fans feel that Quantic Dreams is an ill fit to develop a video game set in the new High Republic era, which has been lauded by many for featuring a stronger representation of female and LGBTQ characters - the very groups David Cage has disparaged in the past. These fans are worried that Quantic Dream may use the Star Wars license to tell a story that demonizes these communities, effectively undoing the goodwill that this increased representation has fostered. Star Wars fan s like Star Wars Explained have lent their behind #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse, stating that they will not cover Star Wars Eclipse while David Cage is involved.
This new backlash over Quantic Dream and Star Wars Eclipse comes at a time of reckoning for sexual harassment and abusive work environments in the gaming community. Earlier this year, the State Of California launched an investigation into The Game Awards 2021 event, though many felt this sentiment was undermined by Keighley not mentioning Activision Blizzard by name and the award show following this with a trailer from Quantic Dream.
While it remains to be seen what action Star Wars parent company Disney will take in the face of the growing backlash over Quantic Dream’s involvement with Star Wars Eclipse, if any - but fans are speaking out in numbers that might be too large to ignore. Rumors have indicated that Star Wars Eclipse will still be in development for at least three or four more years, but players are calling for action right now.
Source: #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse/Twitter, Star Wars Explained/Twitter
